On a night where Grayson Allen made eight 3-pointers for the second straight game and the Phoenix Suns beat the Toronto Raptors to maintain their automatic playoff bid, the biggest news at the Footprint Center on March 7 had nothing to do with the match. .
Hours before thousands of energetic fans gathered to cheer on their beloved Suns, a much smaller crowd gathered in the arena concourse to await a special announcement from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who was alongside Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Governor Katie. Hobbs.
“It is my honor to announce that the 2027 NBA All-Star Game will take place here at the Footprint Center,” Silver said as a burst of cheers drowned out the final words of his sentence.
Hosting NBA All-Star Weekend is big news for any city, but the timing of the announcement is what makes it especially important for Phoenix.
Last year, more than 100,000 out-of-state visitors flooded the desert for the 2023 Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. In April, State Farm Stadium in Glendale will host college basketball’s most prestigious four-team roster before the Footprint Center embarks on WNBA All-Star Weekend in July.
With neighboring metropolises Los Angeles and Las Vegas recently going bankrupt to build new state-of-the-art facilities, some fear the Phoenix area could soon become a secondary destination for some of the biggest sporting events.
However, Hobbs and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who recorded a message for press conference attendees, believe there is still no better host than the Valley.
“Arizona has demonstrated time and time again that we are the best, most unique place to host these major sporting events,” Hobbs said. “On top of that, you have some of the most energetic sports fans in the country, especially basketball. Put these things together, and I have no doubt that the 2027 NBA All-Star Game will be the best in years.
Gallego added, “We will also use this as an opportunity to tell the story of Phoenix through the great sports city that we are, but also great jobs, a great place to visit and so much more.”
That’s what these events are for. Phoenix and the community at large. Ishbia and Hobbs believe NBA All-Star Weekend will have a nearly $400 million impact on the state, and when Ishbia took ownership of the Suns and Mercury, his mission was to provide something special to the community right from as possible.
Last year’s All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City generated $294 million in economic benefits for Utah, according to a Temple University report.
“These are the city teams,” Ishbia said. “The Suns. Mercury. These are not my teams, but our teams, those of the city. It all depends on what a fan wants, and many would like to see the best players in the world come to the women’s this year and the men’s in a few years.
Like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Phoenix is full of tourist hotspots that make it a prime location for major events. While that certainly plays a role in a commissioner’s decision-making, Ishbia’s people-oriented mentality is what helped make those decisions work out for Silver.
“It matters a lot to us how much a community, a city and homeowners want the event,” Silver said.
“We know they have the hotels, the event spaces, the golf courses and all that. We have been here several times, but the biggest factor has been Mat’s enthusiasm.
The summer of 2027 will mark 18 years since the Valley of the Sun was the Valley of Stars. Some fans have now aged and others haven’t even been born. A lot has changed during this drought. Arizona has brought in over a million additional citizens, which potentially means a plethora of new fans eager to see their first NBA All-Star Weekend in person.
For Silver, this will also be his first All-Star experience in Phoenix since he took over as commissioner in 2014. As a result, he hopes to create a forever experience for all of Arizona.
“It (All-Star weekend) is what evolved into all kinds of events,” Silver said. “From the game itself, to the Saturday and Friday night activities.
“You know, we were all just at Indian-Apolis, and I think the Simon family did a great job from the start of the season to make it a statewide event. There is so much basketball played across the state between boys and girls, men and women, and I would love to do the same across Arizona.
As excited as the community is, there are still two more stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles before the All-Star train arrives in Phoenix. In the meantime, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four and WNBA All-Star Game will keep the national sports scene electric in the Valley. However, once both pass, it might be a bit difficult for Ishbia to wait.
“I can’t wait,” Ishbia said. “I know it’s three years away, but I’m already excited about the opportunity.”
